Stephanie Rodriguez can't always bear to watch

Saturday

Nov 16, 2013 at 11:06 PMNov 16, 2013 at 11:47 PM

By Rich Garven, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

ONTARIO, Calif. — Stephanie Rodriguez missed her husband's last two boxing matches, opting to stay home with their three children in Worcester rather than travel to Monaco to see Edwin remain undefeated.

But Stephanie was in the house Saturday night as Edwin met Andre Ward in a super middleweight bout at Citizens Business Bank Arena. How much of the fight she watched was likely to be determined on a round-by-round basis.

"I'm not sure if I'll keep my eyes on it the entire time," Rodriguez said beforehand, her free-spirited, world-traveling sister, Amie Rapa, and youngest son, seven-month-old Evan, both sitting quietly by her side.

It wasn't always that way.

Stephanie and Edwin were in their early 20s when they met at the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester, where she served as a counselor and he trained. She knew little about the sport, but found the fights to be exhilarating and quickly became a rabid ringside rooter.

"In the beginning of his career, I was always watching the fight," she said. "I was really into it, very excited and cheering him on. Then, as the competition has stepped up and the stakes have gotten higher, it brings a sense of anxiety to me and I don't get as excited."

Boxing is a dangerous way to make a living. Anyone associated with the sport recognizes that.

Stephanie is no different.

"I guess there's always that underlying fear of injury, even in the earlier days of his career," she said. "But obviously those fears become a little more real when you're fighting people who have the ability to deliver impact punches.

"He didn't get hit a lot in the beginning of his career and he had a lot of early knockouts, so it's a little bit more (fearful) now. But it's always been there, I've always known the risks."

In addition to being concerned about Edwin's physical well being, there's also unease about the harm that would come to a career "La Bomba" — as he's known to his fans — has worked so long and hard to build. She doesn't want to see a dream destroyed.

"I guess it's because I understand the sport more and I recognize the fact it's not going to be as easy as it was in the beginning for him and there is just so much more sacrifice and preparation that has gone into it," Rodriguez said.

"I know how badly he wants to make it to this level, so that's kind of where it comes from. Before, he was always kind of favored to win and he was building himself up to that point and I wasn't really aware as much about what a loss can do to you in this sport to reach where you want to reach. I guess the stakes have just gotten higher, and the competition has gotten better."

Rodriguez, 30, was born and raised in Worcester. She attended Holy Name High and Holy Cross before declining to study law on a scholarship at Western New England University after twins, Edwin Jr. and Serena, arrived more than four months early in 2006.

Rodriguez did go on to earn a master's degree from Fitchburg State and currently works as a guidance counselor at Sullivan Middle School in Worcester.

With Edwin having moved his training base to Houston in 2012, meaning he's gone for stretches of eight to 12 weeks, that makes time management the key as Stephanie cares for their three children, works full-time, and helps out with Edwin's career where needed.

"It took some time to get into a rhythm in order to figure out how to balance everything while he's gone, but it's pretty established now," Rodriguez said. "I get a lot of support from my mom (Jamie Herrick), so that's good."

The Rodriguezes celebrated their third wedding anniversary in September, and in October moved into a house they purchased in Worcester that's on the same street as Stephanie's mom. They gave their former home to Edwin's parents.

Despite having lots of family around, Edwin's extended absences are tough on everyone. The twins, in particular, miss their dad with Serena getting teary at times.

"But I understand why we do it and thankfully we've been able to really have some nice benefits in life because of his sacrifice to be at this level in boxing," Stephanie said. "I know he misses us, too, but Edwin is the type of person when he's focused and wants something, he doesn't get very easily distracted.

"So he's not the type to get homesick and want to come home. He just remains focused and keeps working and working and working."

And Stephanie will just keep watching and watching — most of the time, anyway.